This invention relates to a dispenser for articles. More particularly, the present invention relates to sequential dispensers, in which the articles are provided as individual interleaved or separably connected sheets and can pop-up above the top of the dispenser when the preceding article is removed.
Dispensers for articles such as tissues are well known in the art. Such articles may be supplied dry, with lotion, or moistened and are typically generally rectangular in shape and supplied as e.g., interleaved, discrete sheets or separably connected. Dispensers for such articles typically are in box form, e.g., in the shape of a parallelepiped. The dispenser has an opening, typically at the top, through which individual articles or sheets are removed by the user. The desire for increased convenience led to sequential or xe2x80x9cpop-upxe2x80x9d dispensers. In a pop-up dispenser, a tissue usually extends through an opening to an elevation above that of the dispenser. The user grasps the exposed portion of the tissue, without the necessity of inserting fingers through the opening. In pop-up dispensing, each tissue has a leading portion that is first to pass through the opening, and a trailing portion that later passes through the opening. In an interleaved arrangement, the trailing portion of a first tissue to be dispensed overlaps the leading portion of the next tissue to be dispensed. As the first tissue is withdrawn by the user, the leading portion of the next tissue is pulled through the opening, for later dispensing. The tissues are folded against one another in a variety of configurations so that the friction of the trailing portion of the withdrawn sheet against the succeeding sheet pulls the leading portion of the succeeding sheet through the opening. However, devices for interfolding are both complex and expensive. Purchasing such devices represents a significant capital outlay that is ultimately passed on to the consumer of the interfolded tissues.
One problem frequently encountered in pop-up dispensing packages of the prior art is the transition from the reach-in dispensing mode in which the product is shipped to the pop-up dispensing mode preferred by the consumer, as well as recovery from the dispenser of tissues that have fallen back in order to reinitiate the pop-up sequence. The opening through which the tissue is dispensed must be large enough to allow the consumer to reach his or her fingers therethrough to grasp the tissue and begin the pop-up dispensing process. However, the opening must be small enough to constrict the tissues dispensed therethrough, so that a tissue may be separated from succeeding tissues. Fallback is exacerbated with relatively tall dispensing packages that are often preferred by the consumer for economic reasons. The usable height of the dispensing package is often limited to the length of the overlap of the interfolded tissues. This limitation occurs due to the leading and trailing portions of adjacent tissues unfolding inside a package taller than the overlap, resulting in the second tissue falling back into the package. Furthermore, fallback can occur as a consequence of the tissue or article being impregnated with another substance, such as moisture, lotion, cleansing composition, etc. When the article is impregnated it is heavier and its surface friction may be reduced, therefore making it more susceptible to falling back. Various attempts to solve the problem of fallback when trying to dispense interfolded tissues are referred to in U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,001, but such solutions are said to have resulted in additional expense due to the use of additional elements or materials.
Similar problems of fallback occur even if tissues are not interfolded, but rather are connected at perforations. As fewer tissues remain in the bottom of a tissue package, particularly a taller package, a greater portion of the tissue hangs from the opening where they are dispensed to the top of the remaining articles at the bottom of the package. When this occurs, the weight of the free portion of the tissue increases, making it more likely that the frictional engagement with the opening is insufficient to prevent the tissue from falling back into the dispensing package. When fallback occurs, the user not only must reach through the aperture in the opening to retrieve the tissue and start the pop-up dispensing process all over again, but the tissue is well below the open, having fallen to nearly the bottom of a tall dispensing package.
Nakamura et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,575 discloses variously configured apertures or a combination of large and small apertures joined by a slit-like portion. In each instance the user inserts fingertips into the openings to grasp a tissue and pull it through the opening, and, where a slit is present, deflecting the slit-like portion. However the shape of the various apertures is round, thereby reducing the chance of success in preventing fallback. Furthermore, in various embodiments the user is required to deflect the material at the opening in order to reach into the container to grasp a tissue and again to deflect it when pulling the tissue out. Where the dispenser is constructed of a rigid, albeit flexible, material, this process can be uncomfortable.
Beard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,907 uses a relatively small, opening of fixed, preferably rounded, shape, but also acknowledges that re-starting a sheet inadvertently broken off below the dispensing surface requires the user to open the dispenser.
Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 2,640,587 discloses a tissue dispenser in which the cover includes an hourglass-shaped opening that is sufficiently wide to permit insertion of fingers to grip tissues and withdraw them through the opening. Thus, at each side of the neck portion 14, the openings flare out to enlarged portions 16 and 18 for such purposes. The large opening makes such a dispenser susceptible to fallback.
Margulies, U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,291 discloses an opening that includes a closure that can be moved between a first position covering a smaller aperture in the dispensing surface or a second position that fully exposes the dispensing surface. The dispensing surface includes a larger aperture, 18, connected by a slit, 20, to a smaller aperture, 22. The larger aperture is said to permit a consumer to grasp a first towel of a web of towels and to pull the first towel toward and into the slit and smaller aperture. The side edges of the slit are said to apply sufficient tension on the towel being pulled through the slit to cause separation of the towel from a succeeding towel at the perforations whereby the succeeding towel is partially extended through the slit.
Dearwester, U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,074, discloses a dual dispensing carton, which includes an upper slot and an extending side slot, so that a bundle of tissues can be removed in a single instance.
Hunt, U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,200, discloses a container for plastic bags which, as shown in FIG. 1 thereof, includes an upper opening 17 through which the bags are passed, and a finger slot 18 in the front wall 11 to provide access to maneuver the bags for removal from the confined storage space. However, the invention relies on both the limited elastic memory of the plastic from which the bags are made and compressing or wadding into a bulbous shape of each individual bag by the consumer before placing each bag in the container for later removal from any opening in the container, including the finger slot. Pop-up operation of the container to dispense the plastic bags is not contemplated.
Muckenfuhs et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,001, discusses the background of pop-up dispensers, the need to prevent the next tissue from falling back into the box and having both large and small apertures spaced apart, but connected to one another. As can be seen in FIG. 1 of the patent, the claimed dispensing opening has a first, larger sized aperture, 20 designed for xe2x80x9creach-inxe2x80x9d and a second, smaller aperture 22 designed to constrict the tissues as they are pulled through the smaller opening, 22 by the user. This is said to mean that the tissues touch the walls of the opening upon withdrawal. The two apertures 20 and 22 are required to be connected by an xe2x80x9cisthmicxe2x80x9d connection 24 (essentially a slit). The disclosure contemplates wet tissues, in which case the package is said to be water impervious. Referring to FIGS. 3-5, a tissue grasped through the large aperture 20, is funneled through the taper 26, towards the apex 28, through the isthmus 24 towards 30 or 36 and, e.g., into one of the smaller openings 222. Thus, the lobes 34 and the narrower second aperture are intended to prevent the tissues from falling back into the package; the larger aperture 20 is intended to allow the user to grasp the tissue closest to the opening. This is also said to permit one to grasp the tissue if it has fallen back through the opening and to rethread it through the small aperture. However, as noted, the patent requires not only a connection between the larger and smaller apertures, but also a specific isthmus or slit-like shape for the connection. The introduction of the slit-like connection also requires that the lobes 34 adjoining the isthmus have a low modulus or high flexibility in order to allow for the passage of the tissue through the isthmus. Consequently, the low modulus or high flexibility reduces the ability of the lobes to hold, retain and/or separate an article, particularly a moisture impregnated article, and to prevent it from falling back into the dispenser. Furthermore, the structural arrangement of the isthmus and openings suggests that it would not be simple or inexpensive to fabricate the necessary equipment, such as a mold, to form the dispensing opening.
Annand, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,281, discloses a dispenser which includes a control plate 20 that sits on top of the stack of sheets to be dispensed, and provides for removal through the side wall of the container.
There is a continuing need in the art for a dispensing element and a dispenser employing such an element that is functional, simple and inexpensive to fabricate and that provides the convenience of pop-up dispensing. There is a also a need in the art for a dispenser to allow for pop-up dispensing of articles such as impregnated tissues or cloths, particularly when supplied in relatively tall dispensers, but that prevents the articles from falling back through the dispensing element or, in the event such fallback occurs, conveniently to retrieve the article.
A dispenser for dispensing individual articles from a plurality of said articles, said dispenser comprising a housing including depending side walls for retaining said plurality of said articles and a top wall including a substantially planar outer surface having a first aperture including at least a pair of juxtaposed adjacent side walls sufficiently close to one another to grasp and retain said individual articles at least partially removed from said housing, and at least one second aperture entirely separate from said first aperture, said at least one second aperture being sufficiently large to permit said articles to be grasped by one or more fingers the human hand from above said at least one second aperture in order to thrust said individual article up and at least partially through said first aperture, whereby said article extends above said top wall and is retained by said first aperture for removal from said dispenser, and optionally including a closable cover for sealably closing said first aperture and said at least one second aperture. Articles usefully employed with such a dispenser include natural and/or synthetic cloth or paper sheets, preferably impregnated with moisture, one or more cleaners or skin treatment compositions.
The invention further comprises a dispensing element as described above for use with a plurality of such articles that are interleaved or releasably attached.
The structure of the invention allows a user to reach into a dispenser through the at least one larger opening to grasp one of the articles and pass it up and at least partially through the smaller aperture.